12-23-2006, 07:10 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,221
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Unaware Driver + Traffic + BlackBerry = Accident Waiting to Happen
"A Mercer Island man fiddling with his BlackBerry was cruising down Interstate 5's express lanes Tuesday morning in his minivan, oblivious that traffic ahead had come to a dead stop. What happened next "could have been horribly tragic," said Washington State Patrol spokesman Jeff Merrill. The 53-year-old man's minivan smashed into a car, setting off a chain reaction that included three other cars and a Community Transit bus, which was carrying 28 passengers. No one was seriously injured, but the accident near downtown Seattle underscores the dangers of driving while preoccupied with electronic gadgets, other passengers and even "driver grooming," according to a state study."
Picture from Flickr user BenZ
OK, true confessions time. How many have done something like this and just not caused an accident? I've been trying to use my audio player on my Pocket PC at times and drifted a little, enough to make me nervous. Of course, I feel free to glare at the other drivers yapping on their phones. :mrgreen:
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12-23-2006, 07:50 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 2
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Guilty.... as charged
Hi, my name is JRWilliams308, and I'm a pdaphone addict.
And I'm the guy that refuses to talk on my cell in the car without my bluetooth handsfree but now let an email come in... and I've gotta scratch that itch.
And I have a 14 character password with a case sensitive and numeric mix. Anyone who uses a Blackberry knows that's a two handed operation.
So where do I sign up for the meetings?
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12-23-2006, 09:15 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,221
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Re: Guilty.... as charged
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Originally Posted by JRWilliams308
So where do I sign up for the meetings?
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A Pocket PC Usergroup? :lol:
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12-23-2006, 09:52 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 11
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while driving your car
Mr. Martin seems to think his readers admission of not concentrating is a big joke. A man is So. CA dropped his cell phone on the floor of his car, chose to reach for it while driving. On the side walk he hits three family members and a 5 year old boy is dead..... Driving with cell/pdaphones is a potentially deadly situation. Is it really worth a life?
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12-23-2006, 11:15 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,221
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Re: while driving your car
Mr. phut60,
You seemed to have missed the irony in my post, so let me be clear. We all SHOULD be careful when we drive, but many of us also do something else, from talking on the cell and fiddling with MP3 players to messing with the radio or even adjusting the rearview mirror. ANYTHING that takes your attention away from the road is a potential risk. So please be careful when you drive.
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12-23-2006, 11:21 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 323
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Re: while driving your car
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Originally Posted by phut60
Mr. Martin seems to think his readers admission of not concentrating is a big joke. A man is So. CA dropped his cell phone on the floor of his car, chose to reach for it while driving. On the side walk he hits three family members and a 5 year old boy is dead..... Driving with cell/pdaphones is a potentially deadly situation. Is it really worth a life?
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Of course it is not worth a life, but sometimes joking about it can result in awareness that it is not a rational thing to do. And there are situations where treating it this way does more to change behavior and therefore outcome than by legislation, or by wielding a sword of moral superiority.
Dennis
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12-24-2006, 02:42 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 41
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I must admit I was once like this too. But after watching Final Destination 2's "highway tragedy scene", whenever I use my PPC Phone while driving, I get visions of cars flying around hitting each other and lots of people getting hurt. Since then I don't use my phone anymore while driving. I just stop at a safe spot for a while and respond to urgent calls or messages if needed.
Drive safely everyone! 
__________________
eSoft Interactive (Home of the think and tap games!)
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12-24-2006, 04:30 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 21
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I know just how distracted I can get, especially while driving, so I have about a 5min ritual I go thru when I get in the car before I even put it in gear.
1. Start GPS
2. Connect iPod, start playlist
3. Plug PDA into power
4. Launch mapping software/set destination (if necessary)
5. Put on bluetooth headset.
Getting all this done before I start moving usually keeps my mind on the road. Of course I do have to plan a few extra moments into my schedule.
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12-24-2006, 02:29 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 175
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Scramble---scramble---Now where is that halo, I know it's somewhere around here..... :devilboy:
Oh well back to topic: No, newer done anny thing like that, allways using HF for the phone, and stopping for conversation :roll:
OK lets get real, I'm a sinner, who have done all the above, eaven more than once, and lived to tell, not hurting annyone, exept my own pride, when realising that I was in the wrong lane, close to the edge, or eaven missing a highway exit  ops:
But I know that those things ara as dangerus as drunk driving, and I belive that the pennalties should mach that! I really do :!:
A few months ago, a friend of mine allmost lost his life, when he drove into a house, while fidling with the radio, doing 50mph+, could be worse though, he could have hit someone else 8O
Will it stop me from doing those stupid things? Don't think so, I'll still be to curius to not answering the phone, or read the messages :roll:
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12-24-2006, 03:01 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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I used to, but it just isn't worth it. I only answer the phone if I have my BT headset and only make calls if voice command can handle it. I don't sms or email unless at a full stop.
otherwise, if I cause an accident, best case scenario is my insurance rates go up. worst case I totally ruin some family.
no, it just isn't worth it.
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